The beat goes on
Weltstardiva Anna Netrebko plays a basement in Greenwich Village next month.
La Cieca
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
Art school confidential
This week, our peek into the Mike Richter collection reveals a long listen for those lengthy midwinter nights: Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Why, She Would Not Sing Anywhere Else for the World
Mary Garden goes back to Paris to-morrow.
Troy for ever reaps a dire delight
Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin has concocted something to keep you warm on those long winter nights: a complete performance of Les Troyens from 1974!
Dancing bears
“La parole humaine est comme un chaudron fêlé où nous battons des mélodies à faire danser les ours, quand on voudrait attendrir les étoiles.”
Où sont les neiges d’aujourd’hui?
A snowy day in MYC offers a perfect excuse to stay home, cozy and warm, and enjoy the hospitality of La Casa della Cieca during this afternoon’s broadcast of Falstaff starting at 1:00 PM.
Everything’s coming up Rúni
Daniela Sindram will sing the role of Octavian and Rúni Brattaberg will sing the role of Baron Ochs in this evening’s performance of Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.
The opposite of canard is truth
“Is Parsifal, then, a religious artwork, or is it a work ‘about’ religion?”
Meyerbeer goggles
In honor of Giacomo Meyerbeer, the unjustly or (depending on how you look at it) justly neglected 19th century opera composer, a selection from Mike Richter‘s “Meyerbeer Operas” CD-ROM.
Come to the unstable
How, then, to explain the perplexing performance last Friday night of Falstaff, Mr. Levine’s first new production since his return?
Irrelevant Berlusconi apologist continues to whine
Also unimpressed was Franco Zeffirelli…
That kind of diva
In Vintage Issue #32: How that opening night of Lohengrin might have gone; La Cieca on La Gran Scena…
Scent of a maestro
“I am Fabio Luisi – a professional musician and conductor in international concert halls and opera houses, involved in many aspects of music and art. For many years I have also had a secret passion for another art which I have studied and practiced to bring to you today: perfumery.” [FL Parfums]
Mary Garden, not unlike Frank Sinatra, has a cold
“Miss Mary Garden, the prima donna, has some definite ideas about American customs laws which would make her an ardent tariff reformer if she were in politics.”
Yule, never walk alone
Just in time for the holidays, La Cieca has flung open the doors of her Shoppe of Holiday Delights!
Blonde, bombshell
So we may all be on the same page as we discuss, following the jump is the video of the December 7 Traviata from La Scala.
Montag mit Marianne
Our Very Own Marianne Leitmetzerin (pictured) has graciously shared a jewel from her vast coffer of recorded performances, a boon La Cieca hopes will become a regular Monday event here at parterre.
Life of the party
Our dear friends at Operavore (to whence Our Own JJ will be returning for another season early in 2014) have called for nominations for favorite operatic “party records.”
Fan club
During what German audiences at Eugene Onegin like to call a “Briefpause,” the cher public (pictured) are invited to discuss, oh, this, that and the other thing.
Don’t be defeatist, dear
“After attending the dress rehearsal in London I wrote the following to Mr Carsen to give him the opportunity to make changes.”
Something unseen
Which resurgent maestro’s instructions to the musical staff have rung out clear as a bell: “Can’t stand those operas you’ve programmed in my absence, so get them off the future schedule?”
Chat roulette
It’s the opening of the Met’s Saturday afternoon broadcast season, cher public, and the first opera in the series is Rigoletto.
Tom Krause 1934-2013
Finnish bass-baritone Tom Krause died Thursday. He was 79.